Gummi Bears and Moon Shoes
by Devon Aster
Summary: Mayhem reigns when a mysterious compound is stolen from the Taelon mothership. Liam must investigate the incident and find the thief. And what trouble could Gummi Bears possibly cause?
1. Bring in the Bears

_**Author's Note:** Many thanks to the spherites who participated in the "Fanfic Celebration" and "Moon Bounce Room" threads, their 'uniqueness' inspired this story. The moon shoes were created by them! Special thanks to Fear for the Gummi Bears comment (see, now it's not just the spherites who know who to blame veg_ _) and to sand and her brother for the 'duck joke'. Also special thanks to Xarnie, for helping with the costumes later in the story._

_ETA: A long while ago, I divided this story up into chapters on my own website. I don't have any intention of rewriting this fic, but I did want to replace the old format with the new chaptered one. The chapters might be a bit short. Still, I think they make for easier reading than one long entry._

_**Disclaimer:** Earth: Final Conflict is owned by Tribune Entertainment. Gummi Bears are trademarked and owned by some candy company, I don't know which one. No infringement is intended._

_-_

**Chapter 1: Bring in the Bears**

**-**

"What do you mean 'I've never eaten Gummi Bears'?" Augur said disbelievingly. He looked his friend up and down, his eyebrow cocked.

"Just what I said," Liam replied. He held in his hand a plastic bag full of squishy, colorful little shapes that only somewhat, in his opinion, resembled bears. He gave the bag a disdainful glance.

"Come one," chided Augur. He leaned forward on the desk between them. "I bet even Renee has eaten Gummi Bears."

"Yeah. Renee wasn't born two years ago either," Liam muttered. He tossed the bag of sweets on the desk. "Look, Augur I don't have time for this. I'm meeting Da'an in an hour. Unless you have some new information on the theft from the Mothership, I'm leaving."

When the hacker didn't respond, Liam turned and started for the door. Augur quickly snatched up the bag and followed him. He caught Liam's arm before he could head out.

"I said I'd get the info," snapped Augur. His frustration from the unfruitful search the last few days showed on his face. He sighed. "Hey, I've got the best contacts on the streets. And a few other places as well. You'll have the thief when I'm done."

"I hope so," was all Liam said.

"Hey," Augur brightened. "Take these, huh?" He shoved the bag of candy bears into Liam's hand. "This stuff is very retro. The candy company that's manufacturing them, and which I just happen to have a few shares in, is already up 20 pts. And that's just from the promos! They haven't even distributed any to retailers yet"

Augur smiled his 'I love making money' smile.

Liam looked doubtfully at the colorful confections. "If these aren't even available to retailers, how did you...?"

"I told you I have the best contacts," Augur said, his face wore an expression of mock hurt and wounded pride.

"Never mind," Liam sighed. He passed a hand over his face. "I don't want to know. Just let me know if you find any new information?"

Augur just grinned and escorted him to the elevator. As the doors were closing, he leaned forward and said in a rush, "Forgot to tell you! Let them get warm before you eat them. Put them in your pocket!"

Liam gave Augur a long-suffering look as his friend's face was shut out by the doors. He shook his head. He turned the bag of Gummi Bears over and over. He still failed to see what was so special about them. He shrugged and decided to follow Augur's advice. He shoved them in his jacket pocket and promptly forgot about them.

---

Liam sat at his desk, the monitor in front of him flashed pictures taken from the Mothership surveillance cameras. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing he could see right away, anyway. He placed his hand flat on his desk and leaned forward to study one of the images again.

"Have you been able to obtain any new information, Major Kincaid?" a no-nonsense voice questioned.

Liam started in surprise and looked up. Agent Sandoval stood just to his left, where he was sure to get a good view of whatever was on the monitor. Liam cursed himself silently for not noticing Sandoval's entrance. He tried a nonchalant shrug.

"Just going over the security footage," he said. "Not that you'd have missed anything." _You just might have forgotten to tell us about it_, he added to himself. He gave a kind of wolfish grin.

Sandoval flicked his gaze to the wall, then quickly back again. He held his hands folded behind his back. He said without expression, "You're confidence in my abilities is deeply touching. But remember that all activities pertaining to the Mothership are under my direction. You report to me in this matter."

"Of course," Liam said with a slight sneer. He leaned back in his chair, trying for an almost-but-not-quite insolent pose. The effect was ruined when a loud pop sounded into the room.

Sandoval raised an eyebrow, staring curiously at Liam. Liam sat puzzled for a second, then put his hand inside his jacket pocket from whence the sound had come. He scowled as he brought forth the now open bag of Gummi Bears. The rainbow colored treats stuck to his hand, having been warmed sufficiently by the hot summer weather.

"I suggest you finish your...report before meeting with Da'an," Sandoval said dryly.

Liam scowled again as the Implant turned and left. He shook the offending 'bears' off his hands, stuffed them back into the bag and deposited the whole mess back into his pocket. _No sense getting that sticky stuff all over my desk_, he thought, _I'll get rid of them in the recycle chute_.

He carefully picked up the stack of data chips for the meeting. He figured he had enough time to make a quick stop to wash his hands.

---

"Were you successful in identifying the thief from the Mothership?" Da'an asked in careful tones. He faced the large observation window, looking out over the city of Washington.

Liam silently cursed Augur and his infernal Gummi Bears for the thousandth time. The 'quick' wash had stretched into a five-minute scrubbing ordeal. The stubborn coloring which had transferred itself so easily from the candy to him, refused to be budged by something so common place as soap.

Only after using some Taelon bio-cleanser had he managed to restore some normalcy of color to his hands.

As a result, he was late to the meeting. Da'an wasn't in the best of moods to begin with, because of the theft, and this only served to worsen that mood.

Liam had declined to explain himself, wanting to get through the meeting as quickly as possible.

"Major?" Da'an voiced the question, his tone was a trifle strident. He gave Liam a disapproving glance.

Liam shook himself, realizing he had gone a full minute without answering Da'an. His face was apologetic. "I'm sorry Da'an. I wasn't able to find anyone in the security footage that appeared out of place. There was no one in the laboratory at the time of the theft."

Da'an bowed his head, his expression seemed to plead for patience with humans who stated the obvious. "I do not want excuses, Liam. It is vital we recover what was taken."

"Yes, Da'an," said Liam. He shifted uncomfortably. He could sense Da'an's agitation over the whole situation. Heck, he'd be nervous too. If he was a Taelon. He returned his attention to the Companion. "I've got my best people digging into it. If anyone tries to sell that stuff on the street, we'll be the first to know."

Da'an turned from the window and looked at Liam with his 'this will affect humanity too so don't get flippant' expression. "I certainly hope so."

Liam's global beeped into the ensuing silence. He snatched it from his other pocket, the Gummi Bear free one, and snapped it open. Sandoval's face filled the screen.

"What is it?" Liam asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"All Synod members are being called to the Mothership," replied Sandoval. "By request of Zo'or."

Liam glanced at Da'an, who nodded. "Da'an is on his way," he told the agent. He shut the global when Sandoval's face disappeared from the screen.

Da'an swept past Liam without word or glance. It was obvious he was still displeased by his Protector's earlier behavior. Liam could only hope the Taelon's mood would improve soon. In a gesture of spontaneous and utter frustration over his lousy day, Liam flapped his arms. He quickly followed Da'an out of the chamber.

Liam never noticed the bag of Gummi Bears which had fallen to the floor.


	2. Five Words You Should Never Say

_**Author's note:** Five words you should never say or think . Those are: "Things can't get any worse."_

-

**Chapter 2: Five Words You Should Never Say**

-

Liam stood impatiently outside the Synod meeting chamber. Arms crossed, he leaned against a bulkhead. His foot tapped rapidly on the floor. _I hate waiting like this..._ he thought. He had already examined the laboratory 10 times. He had interviewed the Volunteers who were in the area, but they hadn't seen or heard anything unusual. He had questioned the Taelon scientists who, true to form, gave him vague and sometimes cryptic answers.

_This is no way to conduct an investigation! No physical clues; no prints, no witnesses, no video footage, not a strand of hair or bit of energy residue...Aaargh!_

Frustration built to the boiling point as Liam reviewed the situation. He scowled darkly. He was almost ready to head back to the lab when a hand descended on his shoulder.

"What?" he practically shouted, as he whirled on the intruder.

A blank faced Volunteer stood frozen, his hand in midair. "Um...I...that is, sir...," the young man stammered. "You have something hanging out of your pocket." The Volunteer pointed to a little red shape clinging to Liam's jacket.

Liam reached down and plucked the thing free. He sighed. It was a Gummi Bear. _I am really beginning to hate these things_, he thought.

"Excuse me, sir," the Volunteer said, seemingly in better control of himself, "But is that a 'Gummi Bear'?"

"Why yes, yes it is," Liam said with more than a touch of sarcasm.

"Really?" the young man replied. He appeared not to notice Liam's tone. He smiled almost childishly. "My mother used to rave about those. Said it was a shame you couldn't buy them anymore."

Liam looked at the Volunteer dumbfounded. He was still trying to figure out how this one had made it through the Volunteers program, when the door to the Synod chamber opened.

Da'an strode out, nodded to Liam, then proceeded down the corridor. Liam started to follow when, once again, a hand touched his shoulder. He turned around to face the Volunteer.

"Sir, if you could just tell me where you got them?" the Volunteer asked, with an abashed look on his face.

Liam stared at him for a second. _I don't have time for this_! he thought. "Here," he said, "If you want it so bad, take it!" Liam shoved the tiny bear into the Volunteer's hand. He took a step away, intending to join Da'an.

"But sir," the Volunteer insisted. "It would mean so much if..."

"No!" Liam cut in, giving the young man a look that could kill. He spun around and marched to where Da'an was waiting with a displeased air.

The Volunteer almost went after him, but the arrival of another official stopped him. The well-dressed man barely glanced at him. The Volunteer's training kicked in. He saluted without thought, inadvertently sending the Gummi Bear flying. He swallowed nervously, hoping no one had noticed.

"Has Zo'or departed the Synod chamber yet?" the man asked.

"No, sir, Agent Sandoval, sir!" The Volunteer said in his best 'Marine' voice.

Sandoval raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He turned away from the Volunteer and stepped inside the Synod chamber.

---

Back at the North American Embassy, Liam was trying to discover what had went on in the Synod meeting. He walked next to Da'an, who seemed unwilling to answer any questions.

"It would help if I knew exactly what was stolen from the lab," Liam insisted.

"You have been told," Da'an answered, his voice suggesting that even Liam couldn't have forgotten. "The compound was part of an experiment. We had hoped to create a drug which could treat psychotic patients, when other methods fail. It is imperative to retrieve this compound. It's affect on normal humans can't be predicted."

"What about its affect on Taelons?" Liam asked. His face effectively hid his own thoughts on the matter.

Da'an sent him a sidelong glance. "You are suggesting our concern is for ourselves."

"I think it might give a little incentive to discovering the whereabouts of the drug and its thief," Liam said bluntly. "A drug that relies on controlling energy impulses to cure its patients. Seems that could be dangerous to energy based beings who are not immune to certain chemicals."

Da'an didn't answer, but kept walking, eyes forward. His expression was unreadable.

Not satisfied with the silence, Liam pressed on. "I don't suppose this is some derivative of 'bliss'?"

Da'an sent him a censuring look. He stopped in the middle of the corridor. "We would not condone such an experiment."

Liam raised an eyebrow. The only reason the Taelons might not do it, as far as he was concerned, was if it presented too great a risk to the Taelon scientists. But they had some unusual ideas on how high the risk had to be.

"Somehow, I get the feeling your not telling me something," Liam said. He pinned Da'an with a searching gaze.

Da'an's eyes became hooded. His expression was bland as he turned away from his Protector and went into his chamber.

Liam shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He decided to leave the Taelon to his own devices for now. _Perhaps I should go back to Augur's_, he thought. _But if he offers me any more Gummi Bears, I'm gonna kill him._

_---_

Liam leaned his head against the elevator wall. A gentle hum vibrated through his body and he sighed. The investigation was proceeding horribly, everyone's nerves were stretched to the breaking point, those Gummi Bears had caused more trouble than they were worth and Da'an was being less communicative than usual.

_Things can't get any worse_, he thought.

The elevator doors opened with a slight _whoosh_. Liam stepped into the brightly lit hacker's lair. His eyes immediately settled on Augur, who was sitting in a chair with a horrified look on his face.

"What's going on?" Liam asked with trepidation. He didn't like the expression on his friend's face.

Augur jumped out of the chair at the sound of Liam's voice. He raced up to the puzzled Protector and gave him a thorough once-over. "Liam! My God, are you all right?!" He gripped Liam's shoulders and peered into his eyes. "You look ok but how do you feel? Where are those Gummi Bears I gave you? Did you eat any of them?"

"No," Liam said. He gave Augur a sudden wary look. "Why?"

"You're not gonna believe this...I just got the information from a trusted contact...if I didn't trust him I wouldn't believe it..." Augur rambled.

"What, Augur?" Liam prompted, hoping to get the hacker to make his point. A lump of cold dread formed in his stomach.

"Those Gummi Bears I gave you are tainted, drugged!" Augur said. "Somehow that Taelon compound ended up in the factory. I haven't been able to trace who did it, but someone put it in with the ingredients!"

"What?!" Liam exclaimed. His faced blanched when he thought of what might have happened if he'd eaten them. The compound could induce any number of moods; euphoria, depression, rage. He could easily have revealed himself as part Kimera or as Resistance leader. A sudden thought struck him. "What about the candy? Has the factory been shut down?"

"Don't worry about it," Augur said. "I have a few connections with the FDA. They're investigating right now. The Taelons will probably take over soon. Seeing how they don't like that kind of publicity."

"I'll say," agreed Liam.

"Now, all we have to do is get rid of that bag I gave you," Augur said. He held out his hand.

Liam nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve the bag. He froze in shock when he found nothing. "They're gone!"

Augur nearly fainted. "WHAT?!"

Liam shook his pockets, then pulled them inside out. "Gone," he said helplessly. "I don't know...they must've fallen out!"

"Where, Liam?" Augur pressed. "Do you know?"

Liam shook his head. He thought of the places he'd been; the Mothership, the Embassy, the shuttle, the street outside the church. They could be anywhere in between. A glimmer of hope presented itself, though. "They were open," Liam said slowly. "If anyone finds them, they'll probably throw them away."

"Want to bet on that?" Augur scoffed.

Liam met his friend's eyes and realized he wouldn't. He'd have to come up with some kind of search plan, retrace his steps. He was already doing that mentally when he remembered. "Oh sh.....Augur, how many of those Gummi Bears do you have to eat for the compound to take effect?"

"I thought you said you didn't..." Augur began.

"I didn't!" Liam cut in. "But I gave one to a Volunteer on the Mothership!"

Augur's face fell. His chocolate toned skin took on an ashy tint. "We have to find that Volunteer! The amount of Taelon compound in just one will send him over the edge!"

Liam was about to agree when his global beeped. He snapped it open and found himself staring at a blank screen. "Hello?"

"Liam," Da'an's voice floated from the global. "Report to the Embassy at once."

"Da'an? What's going on?" Liam asked. He stared at the dark screen, wondering what other problems were to be laid at his door. "There's no visual."

"Yes," Da'an said. "Do not worry. It is a small technical problem. Please report to the Embassy."

Something about the exchange didn't feel right. Liam decided to question the summons. "I'm sorry, Da'an. I'm about to make a break in the investigation..."

"Do not contradict me," stated Da'an, his voice took on a steely edge. "Report to the Embassy."

A muted click sounded, then the screen went on standby. The call was ended. Liam ran a hand through his hair.

"What now?" Augur asked.

Liam whirled around and headed back to the elevator. "Get in contact with Renee," he said over his shoulder. "See if she can't wrangle her way onto the Mothership. I'm going to talk to Da'an. I have a bad feeling about this."


	3. Taelonsitting

**Chapter 3: Taelon-Sitting**

**-**

Liam's thoughts were distracted as he approached Da'an's chamber. He couldn't help imagining what kind of havoc the Volunteer might be wreaking. Then again, he could quite possibly be sitting in his quarters staring at the wall. Whichever didn't matter, they had to find him and figure out how to get the compound out of his system.

With these thoughts, Liam came to Da'an's chamber door. He entered the room and was immediately assaulted by the lyrics of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". The music seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Liam covered his ears and grimaced. He saw Da'an sitting cross-legged on the floor and smiling serenely.

"Da'an, what's going on?" Liam had to practically shout to be heard.

Da'an looked up at him and his smile grew. He gestured Taelon greetings. "Liam, you have come. I am studying what humans refer to as 'popular' music."

Liam stared at the Taelon. Something was clearly wrong. First the odd summons, and now this. He looked around, trying to figure out what was happening. His eyes widened.

A half-empty bag of Gummi Bears lay next to Da'an.

Liam snatched up the bag. His mouth hang open and he stated, disbelieving, "Da'an...you didn't...you _couldn't_...Taelons don't eat!"

Da'an merely continued to smile and sway to the loud music.

"How?" Liam asked, when he realized that somehow that was what had happened.

Da'an stood and, without a word, reached out and took a Gummi Bear from the bag. He held the candy in his hand. Before Liam could act, the Gummi Bear began to sparkle and glow, then dissolved completely. Da'an blushed a brilliant blue.

"Oh man...," Liam muttered. He stuffed what was left of the candy into his pocket. "Listen, Da'an...remember the compound that was stolen from the Mothership?"

Da'an frowned for a moment, as if he honestly couldn't remember. Then his expression cleared and he nodded vigorously. "Of course..."

"These Gummi Bears were tainted with it," Liam explained. "I need to know if there is any kind of counter-agent. A Volunteer on the Mothership might have been affected too."

Da'an nodded again. He waved a hand and was about to speak, when the movements of his own fingers suddenly entranced him. He watched them carefully, curiously. He even giggled once.

Liam moaned. He took a deep breath and tried again, "Da'an, I need to know if the Taelons developed a counter-agent to the compound."

When Da'an still didn't answer, Liam felt his already frayed control slipping. "Da'an!"

Da'an looked up at him. He frowned, and said peevishly, "Is that how you make a request? And to your superior? Didn't anyone teach you the 'magic' word?"

"What?!" Liam wasn't sure he had heard right, the song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" seemed to be on some kind of looped playback. The high voiced singer forever filling the chamber with his loud music.

"Please," said Da'an, continuing to frown.

Liam rubbed his forehead and sighed. "All right...Please, Da'an can you tell me if the Taelon scientists on the Mothership developed a counter-agent?"

"No," Da'an said. He grinned at his Protector. "You see, that was not so difficult."

Liam just stared at the Taelon. "You mean the Taelons never developed anything to counteract that compound?!"

"Not the Taelons on the _Mothership_," Da'an said. He giggled again, then continued in a sing-song voice, "But the scientists on the Moonbase did."

"Oh great..." Liam hung his head a moment, then returned his attention to Da'an. "Ok, I need to know how to get into that Moonbase.....please."

Da'an smiled hugely. "You may use my portal to travel there."

"Thank you," Liam said. He headed to the portal, hoping the coordinates would be in the memory files. He stopped a few feet away when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to find Da'an following him.

Liam took another deep breath. He knew he'd have to handle this just right. "Da'an, I think it would be...better if you stayed here. There's a lot of 'popular' music to study. I'm sure you'll find it a pleasant use of your time."

Da'an pouted, his bottom lip sticking out. He placed his hands on his hips. "You think I will be a bother."

"It's just routine stuff," Liam said. He tried to make it sound as boring as possible. "Nothing interesting."

"I do not believe you," Da'an asserted. "I will go."

Liam gave up. It would take more time to convince the Taelon otherwise than he was sure could be spared. _I'll have to keep an eye on him. Heaven knows what he'll do_, thought Liam. He shrugged and stepped toward the portal. "Ok, but stick close to me."

Da'an clapped his hands together in joy. He said, "Yes, you will need me to navigate the Moonbase...but I think there is something I forgot to tell you."

"What?" Liam swallowed. Did he really want to know?

"I am not certain...," Da'an said. He seemed puzzled for a moment, then he smiled again. "Ah yes, I remember. I enjoyed those Gummi Bears so much, I contacted the manufacturer earlier. They were kind enough to send several boxes to the Mothership."

Liam could only stand silently in shock.

---

Liam's mind whirled with frantic thoughts. _Oh my God, oh my God, ohmyGod...._ He braced himself against the portal control panel. "What am I going to do?" he groaned. "The pilots of the Mothership could be under the influence of those damn Gummi Bears!"

Da'an shot Liam a confused look. "I do not understand," he said. "Those 'damn Gummi Bears', as you call them, are wondrous things. They lift you spiritually and give peace to your soul."

Liam scowled, glad Da'an was too full of 'peace' to understand the look he was getting. He pushed away from the panel and started pacing. He ran a hand through his hair. "I have to get to the Moonbase, that's top priority. I have to find out if there's a counter-agent. Hopefully, the Mothership won't fall out of the sky or jump through ID to Jaridian territory in the meantime."

Da'an placed a hand on Liam's shoulder and smiled. "If you wish, I shall go to the Mothership and oversee it's operations. I am sure Zo'or will not mind."

"Oh yeah," Liam scoffed. "That's a great idea! I don't think the Mothership needs another high Taelon. What it needs is someone tough who can take control, someone who is cool under pressure, someone..." Liam stopped his tirade. His face went white.

Da'an gazed at Liam in concern. "Are you well, Liam? What is it?"

Liam bowed his head and cupped his face in his hands. "ooohhh....no no no no....I can't believe I forgot!" He raised his head, a pained expression on his face. "I sent Renee to the Mothership!"

Liam whipped out his global and punched in the connection to Renee. The global beeped for two minutes straight but there was no answer. He cut the line. He shook his head, then called Augur.

"Liam, what's up?" Augur asked anxiously when he appeared on the screen.

Liam almost laughed out loud when the reply 'the Mothership, so far,' sprang into his mind. Instead, he said, "Augur, I found that missing bag of Gummi Bears. Don't get happy yet, turns out it was in Da'an's chamber."

"That's bad because...?" Augur said, obviously not certain he wanted the answer.

"It appears the compound has an affect on Taelons," Liam explained. "Similar to narcotics on humans. Somehow they can absorb it. Da'an's been exposed pretty thoroughly."

"Let's hope you can find a counter-agent," commented Augur.

"That's not the worst of it," stated Liam. He smiled ruefully at Augur's expression, the hacker apparently didn't think it could get much worse. "Da'an managed to have several boxes of the Gummi Bears sent to the Mothership before the factory closed down."

"Holy...Liam, Renee is on the Mothership!" Augur exclaimed.

Liam nodded wearily. "I thought so. I tried contacting her, but she didn't answer..."

"Liam, what are we going to do?!" asked Augur in frustration.

Liam sighed. He glanced at Da'an, still smiling and once again swaying to the grating music. He returned his attention to Augur. "I was going to the Moonbase...but I think I have to visit the Mothership first. Renee could be vulnerable under the influence of that compound. Hopefully, if she says anything whoever she tells will be too drugged to remember later."

"What are you going to do about him?" Augur tilted his head in Da'an's direction.

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can leave him behind," Liam said. "He's already argued about going to the Moonbase. I'll have to take him."

"Good luck, Liam," said Augur. He looked as though he wasn't sure all the luck in the universe could help. "I'll continue searching for that info you wanted. I'll also monitor the transmissions from the Mothership. I'll let you know if anything strange happens."

Liam lifted an eyebrow. "Thanks, Augur." He snapped the global shut and turned to Da'an. He motioned with his hand. "Okay, change in plans. We're going to the Mothership."

Da'an grinned happily and nodded. He followed Liam obediently to the portal. They stepped into the opening in silence. Da'an wore a giddy expression, like a child going to his favorite toy store. Liam's expression said 'Why me?'

---

The disorienting effect of the portal only lasted a few seconds, but those few seconds were enough to be thrust into chaos. A great glob of something came flying through the air and struck Liam's chest dead-center.

Liam looked down in bewilderment to find melted chocolate dripping from the front of his shirt. "What the...?"

"Sorry," a voice giggled.

Liam looked up to see two female Volunteers holding bowls and wooden spoons and laughing. Chocolate fell from the spoons onto the floor in puddles. The two Volunteers were covered in it, the walls liberally coated. Liam shook his head. He turned away and started to say, "Ok, Da'an now stay close....."

Liam stopped in mid-sentence. He quickly glanced all around but there was no sign of the Companion. He had disappeared.

Liam turned back to the Volunteers. He decided they wouldn't be much help, since they were now on the floor laughing hysterically and pointing to his unusually decorated shirt. He grunted and set off down the corridor hoping to catch the Taelon.


	4. Insanity3

**Chapter 4: Insanity3**

**-**

"An intriguing situation," a familiar Taelon voice said. "I wonder what the outcome shall be?"

Liam's ears pricked up at the sound of the voice. He swallowed, hoping what he heard didn't mean what he thought it did. He crept stealthily to the open door. He peered around the jamb and was surprised to see the room occupied by one lone person.

Zo'or stood in front of a data stream displaying images of humans. Liam squinted, trying to make out who it was Zo'or was watching. The data stream went black for a moment then displayed a picturesque little manor over which words began to scroll. The theme song to _Little Cove_, a popular soap-opera began to play.

"No!" Zo'or protested. "They cannot do this! I am the Synod Leader! I wish to know what happens to Jim and Mary. I must know if Mary's adopted daughter is really hers, if she was taken at birth rather than having died. Who is the father?! Jim or his cousin, Whip??"

Zo'or began to pace angrily across the floor. "And what of Verna? Will she exact revenge on Stewart for betraying her? Will she reveal the secret of him and Mary?" He stopped in the middle of the room and waved his hands. "I will not allow this! The humans will show only _Little Cove_ until my questions are answered!"

Liam watched disbelieving from his hiding place. _Who'd have thought_? he wondered.

"Are you still wasting time on that?" a snide voice asked.

Liam quickly glanced in the direction of the new voice. It was T'than. The Taelon War Minister had entered by another way. Liam ducked a little farther behind the door. He watched helplessly as T'than approached Zo'or.

"What do you mean?" Zo'or said scathingly.

T'than looked Zo'or up and down. "I should think that was obvious."

Zo'or snorted. "You are jealous of me is all," he said. "You will grasp at anything to try and belittle me. But you know the truth."

"And what truth is that?" T'than spat.

"I'm too sexy for the Taelons," Zo'or sang. He smiled triumphantly. He launched into what was apparently his own version of the song. He swung his hips and snapped his fingers.

T'than growled. He raised a hand and Liam noticed he was holding some kind of sword. Some small memory stirred, he recognized it as an ancient Taelon weapon. He wondered if he would have to rescue the Synod Leader.

"Desist that noise at once!" T'than proclaimed. "I, the protector of Taelon Virtue, will not allow it!"

"Admit it! You are jealous!" Zo'or said, still dancing to unheard music. "You know I am the sexiest of all Taelons! Even you are not immune to my charms."

To prove his point, Zo'or danced up to T'than, somehow managing to avoid the sword, and planted a big kiss square on T'than's mouth.

"Ack!!" T'than spat noisily. He ran his hand across his mouth and glared at Zo'or. Zo'or merely laughed and danced his way out of the room.

"Stop! Stop at once!" shouted T'than. He ran after Zo'or, sword in hand. "I will not allow this!"

Liam continued staring into the empty room. He couldn't believe it, his mind absolutely rebelled. _What more could possibly happen_?

---

Liam rose from his crouching position next to the door. His calves ached after squatting for so long. The shock of what he had witnessed had kept him from moving for nearly 10 minutes. He shook his head, trying to erase the image of Zo'or kissing T'than.

"Ugh..." Liam groaned. He rubbed his forehead. _It's gonna take a long time to forget that_! He turned from the door and continued down the corridor. He swept his gaze back and forth, searching for any clues on Da'an or Renee's whereabouts. The only thing he saw was the empty hall.

_Wait a minute....._ thought Liam. He stopped and peered around. Nothing. Not a footstep sounded in the silence. _This can't be good_. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. The disappearance of the usual throng of Volunteers could only bode ill.

Liam resumed his journey, this time walking briskly and frantically searching for a sign of anyone. He was about to break into a panicked run when he heard a strange hissing sound.

"What the...?" Liam muttered. A thin wisp of smoke came from an open doorway just a few paces down. He approached the room carefully and peeked inside. He blinked in surprise.

"Oh damn..." a rich voice intoned. Agent Sandoval stood facing a smoking heap of ashes, his skrill arm raised. He lowered the arm and scowled.

"Sandoval..." Liam swallowed nervously when he realized he's said the name aloud. Sandoval turned from the heap and faced Liam. His expression was the same unreadable mask he usually wore. He quirked an eyebrow, silently asking why Liam was interrupting.

"Yes, Major?" Sandoval asked when Liam continued to stand wordlessly.

Liam straightened away from the door. His eyes slid to the still smoking ashes. He hoped that wasn't what he thought it was. Considering the unpredictable effects of the compound, he might have stumbled onto the 'punishing' of some unfortunate Volunteer.

Liam smiled weakly. He forced himself to look at Sandoval. "Well...ah" his voice cracked a little. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I was looking for Miss Palmer, Agent Sandoval. Have you seen her?" He decided it was probably best not to mention Da'an's disappearance.

"Why, no I haven't," Sandoval said. "I wasn't aware Miss Palmer was aboard the Mothership." His gaze became suspicious.

Liam swallowed again. _This was just what he didn't need, a paranoid FBI agent with a CVI and a license to skrill_. He adapted his most casual posture. "It was an unscheduled visit," he said truthfully. "I'm here to return her to Earth."

"Oh," commented Sandoval. He continued to study Liam for a moment. Liam could feel sweat begin to trickle down his back. He squashed the urge to run.

Finally, Sandoval turned away. He walked to a side table containing some unusual items. Liam caught a glimpse of something white, but the agent stepped in front of the table, blocking his view. He watched as Sandoval picked up various items and deposited them on a tray. After a minute or so, the agent turned away from the table and walked over to the ash heap.

Liam continued to observe in confusion as Sandoval placed the tray atop the heap. The tray was piled high with little brown squares with white in the middle. Before he could ask what was going on, Sandoval raised his arm and skrilled the tray, contents and all. All that was left was some melted metal and more ashes.

"Grrrr..." Sandoval ground his teeth. His face collapsed into another scowl.

"Uh...what...?" Liam questioned, gesturing to the pile of smoking remains.

Sandoval turned to face him. He looked at Liam in irritation. "Haven't you ever made s'mores, Major?" he snapped.

"S'mores?" Liam asked dumbly. His brain had given up trying to make sense of what was happening that day. The mind could only take so much.

"Yes, s'mores!" Sandoval growled again. He marched over to the table. Picking up another tray, he placed the necessary ingredients on it. He turned back to Liam when he'd finished and strode to the Major's side. He held up one of those brown squares. "You take a graham cracker," he put the square in the center of the tray, "add a piece of chocolate," he placed chocolate on the cracker, "then a marshmallow." _That explains the white things_, thought Liam.

"Then top it with another graham cracker," said Sandoval, completing his masterpiece. He held out the tray for Liam's inspection.

"Uh...nice" Liam commented, not knowing what else to say. Sandoval rolled his eyes.

"It's not done yet," he stated. He gave Liam a look that clearly said 'idiot'. The agent stepped away, placing the tray on top of the heap. He returned to Liam's side and said, "Now, you have to heat it up so the chocolate melts and the marshmallow becomes gooey."

"How do you...?" Liam began to ask. His question was answered when Sandoval skrilled the plate of crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. The whole thing quickly joined the rest of the ash heap. "Oh..."

Sandoval sighed. "I can't seem to get the power adjusted to the right level."

Liam stared at the Companion agent, his mouth hanging open. _Imagine, him getting depressed over some burnt s'mores._ He shook his head slightly.

"What do you think, Major?" Sandoval asked suddenly, turning to face Liam with soulful eyes.

"Uh...well..." Liam stuttered. He shrugged, flustered.

"You think I'm incompetent, don't you?" Sandoval accused, his face flushed angrily. "I'll have you know I was the official s'mores maker for my Boy Scout troop!"

Liam shook his head vigorously. "No no no, I don't think you're incompetent!" he said quickly. "You were right. I've never made s'mores in my life!"

"Hmph" was all Sandoval said.

"Look," said Liam, hoping to extract himself from the situation. "I really need to find Miss Palmer. I don't want to interrupt you anymore..."

Sandoval waved a hand impatiently. "Fine, Major. Considering your lack of experience in this matter, I think it would be for the best." With that, the agent returned to the table and ignored Liam.

Liam shrugged. _For the best indeed..._


	5. Hey, Hey, The Gang's All Here, or, Never...

**Chapter 5: Hey, Hey, The Gang's All Here  
**_or_**  
Never Take a Taelon to a Night Club**

**-**

The Companion Protector ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to be doing a lot of that, and the result was that he was starting to resemble a porcupine. His tortured locks were standing on end. He sighed and leaned against a wall. Liam was getting more than a little frustrated. He'd searched for Da'an and Renee but hadn't found them. In fact, he hadn't found anyone. That was really bothering him. There should be a ship load of people. He had expected to encounter more Volunteers like those by the portal. But he hadn't.

Liam decided to try a different method. He pulled out his global and dialed the connection to Augur.

"Liam, what's going on? Have you found Renee yet?" Augur asked as soon as he picked up.

"No, that's why I'm contacting you," admitted Liam. "I haven't been able to find Renee, and I managed to lose Da'an in the process. Something's going on, Augur. I've been over meters of this ship, but I haven't run into anyone. No Volunteers or Taelons."

"That is unusual," drawled Augur.

"You don't sound too concerned," said Liam. "Have you been monitoring the transmissions?"

"Of course," Augur said, sounding offended. "I've also kept a watch on the portals and shuttles. Trust me, Liam. NO ONE has left the Mothership. They're there. Somewhere."

"Yeah, but where?" Liam asked.

"Maybe they're playing hide and seek," Augur shrugged. "What did the internal sensors say?"

Liam stared blankly at the global's screen. _Internal sensors_? Liam closed his eyes and resisted the urge to hit himself on the head. "Right, I'll check them. Just... contact me if you come across anything."

Augur nodded slowly. "Uh huh. Tell me you haven't eaten..."

"I haven't, Augur! Just keep me informed!" Liam snapped the global shut. He willed himself to calm down. _I won't think any better if I stay angry. It was a stupid mistake, but one I'll remedy right now_. He turned to an access panel on the wall, and started to punch in the necessary authorization.

"GOTCHA!!" a voice shouted. Liam jumped and whirled about, his face washed of color. He stared at his golden-haired assailant.

"Renee! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Liam said.

"Looking for me?" frowned Renee. She looked at him strangely. Then she smiled. "You weren't s'posed to be looking for me, silly!" She gave him an affectionate punch on the shoulder. "You were s'posed to be hiding! I'm IT, remember?"

"IT?" Liam asked. Would there be no end to the madness?

"For hide'n seek of course," Renee laughed. "Now you're IT! You have to find us!"

"Us?"

Renee sighed dramatically. "Me and the Volunteers," she explained. "They've been hiding and I've been seeking. But you know what?" She leaned close and whispered, "I think they're cheating! I haven't found any of them yet."

Liam nodded. He wasn't about to get into an argument over it, not after what happened with Sandoval.

"Well!" Renee said, this time loudly. "That's not my problem any more! You are IT, Major Liam Kincaid! Find us if you can!"

Renee laughed and turned to leave. Liam grabbed her arm quickly, determined not to lose her now. She glanced back at him and frowned. "Hey..."

"Uh...why don't we play a different game?" Liam suggested. He smiled as winningly as he could. "You said those Volunteers were cheating, right? That's no fun, is it?"

"Well...no," admitted Renee. She looked at Liam skeptically. "But what are we gonna play?"

Liam grinned. "Trust me, you'll like it."

---

Liam impatiently tapped the controls on the panel in the wall. He'd managed to access the internal sensors but he wasn't sure whether what he was seeing was good or bad. Apparently, just about every Volunteer and Taelon was crammed into one of the largest of the audience chambers. And someone had disabled a majority of the sensor functions inside. All he knew was that the crew was there, but not what they were doing.

"Liiiiaaaammmm!" Renee whined. "I thought you said we were going to play a gaaammmmeee!?"

Liam glanced at Renee, irritated. She stood with her arms crossed and a disgusted look on her face. She glared at him. He didn't really care at this point. For the last few minutes, she'd been asking the same question in the same grating, nasal voice. He was beginning to understand what a road trip with a six year old must be like.

He took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face. "Ok, Renee, I just...uh...had to make sure everything was in place for the game. I'm done now." _Can't get any more from the sensors anyway_, Liam thought. He was a nanosecond away from punching a hole in the wall.

"Goody!" Renee jumped up and down in excitement, clapping her hands and her golden hair bouncing. She beamed at Liam. "So, what'er we gonna play? Huh? Huh? Huh??"

"Well...uh...it's a surprise!" Liam improvised. He had to get to that audience chamber and keep Renee entertained. Maybe if she thought it was part of the game? He took one of her hands and started pulling her in the direction of the chamber. "We're going to go play now. Come'on."

"Wheee!!!" cheered Renee. She smiled and let herself be led along.

---

Liam and Renee stood in front of the door leading to the large audience chamber. Liam swallowed nervously. He had no idea what they'd be getting into but...he had to check it out. It was possible Da'an was inside. And he needed Da'an to get to the Moonbase. He took another deep breath and mashed the door control.

The door whooshed a opened. A hard rock beat and colored lights immediately engulfed the pair.

"Oh God..." Liam groaned. He bowed his head and tugged on Renee's hand, leading her into the crowded room. Dancers on all sides jostled them. Loud, indistinguishable music assaulted their ears. _This...this..._ He gave up trying to define it. _Concentrate on finding Da'an_, he told himself.

Liam scanned the crowd, trying to find any sign of Da'an. He squinted into the murky interior. The dim lighting and the flashing colors made it difficult to determine faces, or even if a body was human or Taelon.

"Hiya!" someone shouted in Liam's ear. He snapped his head around and found himself facing a Volunteer. She smiled at him and said, "Welcome to 'The Mothership Club'! You're just in time to see our live band!!"

"Live band?" Liam asked, even though he knew he shouldn't.

"Yeah!" the woman said. "It's called 'The Joining'! Oooohhhhh, looooooook!!!!" The Volunteer pointed to the other end of the room where a stage had been set up. "They're coming on now!! Whoooo!!!!!"

Liam watched in horror as the very Taelon he was searching for walked to the middle of the stage. At least, he thought it was. A tall, graceful figure walked to the center of the platform. Dressed in a sparkling silver jumpsuit, makeup and a striking red wig, it seemed to be some rock icon reborn.

The figure bowed and waved, then motioned to someone off to the side. Another familiar figure joined the first. Wearing black leather pants and jacket, the black and white faced band member peered into the room. He gave a short wave to the crowd.

Liam gasped in recognition, when the figure's movement revealed a skrill attached to his arm. _Oh no no no no no....._ A small group of similarly costumed Volunteers and Taelons came on next, taking places in the back. They picked up what Liam assumed were instruments. The occupants of the room burst into applause and cheers.

Da'an waved again, then turned to check on his bandmates. Apparently satisfied, he tapped a beat with his foot and signaled them to start playing. A heavy metal rhythm filled the chamber. Liam's head began pounding. He tried to cover one ear with his free hand and grimaced.

Da'an and Sandoval stepped to the front of the stage, snatched up the mics there and began to sing. Or at least, what one could loosely termed as 'singing'.

Screaming seemed a better description to Liam.

"AAAAaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Come on, come on, come on!!! Join with us!! Rage against the Commonality!!! Join with us!!!! AAAAAHHHHH AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!!!!!"

Liam pulled on Renee frantically, he wanted to get Da'an and get out of there. Unfortunately, Renee didn't seem so inclined. She resisted Liam's urging.

"Hey!! Stop that! You're hurting my arm!" Renee complained. She snatched her hand away. "What're ya tryin' ta do?"

Liam grimaced at Renee. He was getting very low on patience. He said, as sweetly as possible, "Don't you want to get closer? The view is much better in front of the stage."

This seemed to mollify Renee. Her face brightened. "OOoooohhhh!! You're right! It'd be much better! Let's go!!" She grabbed Liam's hand and dragged him through the crowd. Pushing and shoving, she managed to get them to the front in record time.

Liam stood silently as Renee started be-bopping to the music. He decided to let her entertain herself while he tried to come up with a way to get Da'an off the stage. He'd failed to come up with any ideas besides waiting for the 'performance' to end, when a solution presented itself.

There was a horrible screeching sound, then all the instruments went dead. The music and singing stopped. The puzzled rockers looked around trying to figure out what had happened. A self-satisfied laugh echoed into the room.

"Hahahahahaha!!!! You thought you could betray me!! But I've found you out!"

Liam watched dumbstruck as an extremely furious Zo'or strode onto the stage. He cast Sandoval a look that could have caused spontaneous human combustion. "You...you..._traitor_! How _dare_ you take up with this...this..." sputtered Zo'or. He didn't finish, merely spun away from the shocked implant and faced Da'an. He grabbed the red wig from the other Taelon's head, threw it down and began to stomp it vigorously.

The crowd booed and hissed. Several of them picked up various objects and glared at the new arrival.

"Uh oh..." Liam knew this wasn't going to end well. He had to do something. "Come on, Renee." He grabbed her hand and started pulling her up to the stage.

"What? What!? I told you to stop that!!" Renee bellowed.

Liam turned to Renee, he had to think quickly. _Of course_! "Hey, Renee...remember the game I promised? Well this is it! It's called 'kidnap the rock star'. You want to play, don't you?" He gave her an ingratiating smile.

Renee grinned back. "Oh yea!! Let's go!" She scrambled onto the stage, leaving Liam behind. She sauntered up to Sandoval and caught him in a headlock.

"Renee! Wait!" Liam dashed up after her. He tried to free Sandoval while explaining, "No no, not this one! He's not the lead! See, we have to get the lead!" He glanced nervously to the rowdy crowd below, getting rowdier by the second.

"Ooohhhhh....OK!" said Renee. She dumped the half-choked agent on the stage floor. She ran over to where Da'an and Zo'or were. She practically pushed the Synod leader down in her haste. Zo'or stopped stomping the wig and glared at her.

"Impudent human! How dare you!?" he shouted.

Renee stuck her tongue out. "I _dare_ very well!" she snapped back.

Liam interjected himself between the two. "Hey hey! Don't fight! It's ok. No need to get upset." He laughed nervously.

"WHAT IN THE COMMONALITY IS GOING ON HERE?!?!"

All heads in the chamber turned to the speaker. A hush fell over the crowd.

T'than stood at the edge of the stage, his ancient Taelon sword in hand. His eye twitched as he took in the spectacle. He raised the sword. "You...you have all defiled the Mothership!!!!"

Liam grabbed Da'an and Renee's hand.

"RUN!"


	6. To the Moon, Liam!

**Chapter 6: To the Moon, Liam**

**-**

"This is intolerable!" protested Zo'or.

"SSsshhhhhh...." Zo'or was shushed from all sides. Renee held a finger in front of her lips, Sandoval shook his head and Da'an waved a hand. The small group was pressed into a curve in the wall, the space created by the junction of two corridors.

"I will not be silenced," responded Zo'or, though in a slightly quieter voice.

"Do want us to get caught?" hissed Renee.

"Don't forget T'than has a sword with your name on it. One designed to be fatal to energy based life-forms," Sandoval pointed out.

"He was certainly angered by what happened," commented Da'an.

"That was not my fault!" Zo'or returned. "He cannot blame me for that debauchery!"

"Hush! All of you!" Liam whispered fiercely. He glared at the group; then, satisfied they would hold their peace for a while, returned his attention to the hallway beyond. He pressed against the wall and peered around the corner. The corridor was blessedly silent.

Liam let out a relieved breath. It seemed they had escaped T'than, for now. He had to get to the portals and transport to the Moonbase. Of course, the whole thing had become a lot more complicated. He hadn't counted on the presence of Sandoval or Zo'or. Da'an and Renee were bad enough. And no one seemed to be recovering from the effects of the Gummi Bears on their own.

Liam turned back to the group and studied them thoughtfully. If he left Zo'or behind, T'than might find him and he had no doubt it would be the end of the Synod leader. It was no use asking Sandoval to protect him, the agent might think it a funny joke to let T'than at Zo'or.

He sighed. There was nothing for it but to take them all. _Heaven help me..._

"Okay, everyone listen," said Liam. "We have to get to the Moonbase..."

"How do _you_ know about the Moonbase?" demanded Zo'or. He cast an accusing glance at Da'an. Da'an merely shrugged.

"It doesn't matter!" snapped Liam, then continued in a more level voice, "We have to go there. You all are suffering the effects of a Taelon compound, the same one stolen from the Mothership. It was in the Gummi Bears you ate."

The group looked at him in silence. Da'an seemed bored, he'd heard it already, Zo'or gaped, Renee grimaced and Sandoval burst out laughing.

"Down the rabbit hole!" Sandoval managed to say between gasps, tears streaming down his face and smearing his face paint.

"Ha ha," mocked Liam. "The point is we all have to go. I don't think any of you want to be around if T'than figures out which corridor we ran down."

"No, you don't," a voice said.

Liam, Da'an, Renee, Zo'or and Sandoval all swung around in unison and faced a livid T'than.

T'than raised his sword and bellowed, "Die INFIDELS!!!!"

The terrified group broke into a run. With the threat of a sword-wielding Taelon behind them, even Da'an and Zo'or managed to keep up.

_Portals, portals, where the hell are the portals_?! Liam thought anxiously. He cast glances right and left, trying to orient himself and pick the best route. Finally, something clicked.

"That way!" he ordered, leading the group down a hallway. He rushed past several doors before doing an abrupt left turn and entering one. He skidded to a halt in front of the portal controls. He punched in a few commands and cursed.

"What is it?" asked a winded Renee, who stumbled to a stop next to him.

"I can't access the necessary files!" Liam said. He looked around frantically, his eyes finally settling on the recently arrived Zo'or. "Zo'or! Come here!"

"Do not presume to order me..." began Zo'or indignantly.

"Get'cher blue butt over here!!" Liam demanded, finally losing what little control he had had.

Surprisingly, Zo'or looked chastened. He bowed his head and walked to Liam with the attitude of a child caught misbehaving.

Da'an twittered behind a hand, Sandoval laughed outright and Renee said, in a sing-song voice, "Somebody's in trouble!"

Looking hurt, Zo'or tapped a few commands into the control panel. Immediately, the coordinates for the Moonbase were displayed on the screen. Zo'or bobbed his head a little and stepped back.

Liam studied the screen. It seemed to be all set up. All he had to do was get them into the portal and set the thing to fire when he joined them. _For once, something easy..._

He turned to inform the group, when the words died on his lips. Shock and fear paralyzed him for a second, then urgency finally freed his tongue. "Everyone into the portal now!"

The group moved just in time. T'than's sword came swinging down where Sandoval and Renee had been only a second before. Zo'or was the first in, since he was the closest. Da'an, Sandoval and Renee tied for second.

Liam quickly set the timing sequence for the portal. _I have to get this just right..._ He couldn't leave the portal open long enough to allow T'than to follow him in. Regretting he had to resort to his gun, Liam pulled out the weapon and fired a couple of warning shots at T'than.

T'than dodged the shots, but was sufficiently slowed. Liam quickly turned and dove into the portal opening just as transport began.

T'than bellowed in rage. He brought the ancient Taelon sword down on the control panel, cleaving it in two.

---

Liam landed with a _whumf_ as he was unceremoniously dumped on the floor. A second later, four other bodies were dropped on him. His breath rushed out in a gush.

"Dog pile!" Renee laughed from her perch on the top.

"Get your foot out of my face!" Sandoval demanded. "Haven't you ever heard of foot powder!" Sandoval grunted as Renee jounced him.

"Would...you..._all_...get off me!" Liam gasped. He pushed up on his arms to emphasize the point.

"You're no fun," Renee pouted. She slid off the top, followed by Sandoval. Da'an and Zo'or picked themselves up, apparently unharmed by their position near the bottom.

Liam gulped air gratefully. He sat up, rubbing his bruised ribs. He glared at the others, who affected innocent expressions.

"Okay, we've made it to the Moonbase," he said, standing up. "Now we have to get to the labs."

Zo'or gave a short laugh. Liam glared at him, but the Taelon suddenly became interested in a spot on the wall.

Liam turned on Da'an. "What, exactly, can I expect?" he asked.

Da'an shrugged. "There are some difficulties for humans here," he said.

"What difficulties?" Liam knew by now, if he had to ask - it was bad.

"We-ell," drawled Da'an. "The lack of atmosphere for one. Taelons do not need it, or much of it. Then there is the gravity...or lack of it. For the same reasons. This room is the only one provided with both."

Liam ran a hand down his face. _Of course_, he thought almost hysterically, _There has to be something_! Calming himself he asked, "Ok, is there any equipment we can use?"

Da'an glanced at Zo'or, who returned the gaze. Some look seemed to pass between them, but when Da'an turned back to Liam it was gone. "Of course."

Liam eyed the two Taelons suspiciously, but decided not to distract them with an irrelevant question. "Right. Where is it?"

Da'an and Zo'or once again looked at each other. Da'an said, "It is stored there," he pointed to a cabinet, "However, only Taelons can access it. Allow Zo'or and I to retrieve it for you."

Before Liam could respond, Da'an and Zo'or had walked to the cabinet. They tapped the panels next to the doors and opened the storage unit. Leaning forward, they appeared to be gathering something from the inside. Liam thought he heard a few phrases of Eunoia whispered, but wasn't sure. Soon, the two Taelons turned from the cabinet. They approached Liam carrying masks, belts and boots.

Da'an held up the mask and explained its function, "This will generate an atmosphere you can breathe. And these," he indicated the boots, "will generate the gravity you need."

Liam studied the equipment, then asked, "What about air pressure? We can't survive the low pressure naturally found on the moon." He assumed, he hoped rightly, that the base was already shielded for radiation.

"Do not worry," said Da'an. He picked up one of the belts. "This will create a shield which will provide the necessary pressure."

Liam nodded. He had no choice but to trust them. "Ok. Sandoval, Renee, get this equipment on." He handed each of them a pair of boots, a mask and a belt. The next few minutes they occupied by putting on the unfamiliar accessories.

"All right," said Liam once he had his mask adjusted. "How do we activate this stuff?"

Zo'or's mouth quirked a little. "Allow me," he said. He reached over and pressed a small depression on the side of the mask. Air began hissing onto Liam's face. He watched as Zo'or repeated the procedure for Sandoval and Renee.

"And I will activate your 'moon shoes'" offered Da'an, quickly following Zo'or's lead. He went to each human and pressed the necessary controls on the boots.

Liam felt a slight tug as the gravity generator kicked in. The tiny vibration caused him to sway. He felt slightly lightheaded. _Maybe the air mix is a little off..._

"Da'an, I think..." Liam began, but quickly stopped. _What the..._? "Da'an," he said again, his voice high and squeaky. "What did you do?"

Da'an and Zo'or began laughing uproariously. Their bodies shook and blushed an intense blue. Sandoval and Renee joined in, their own voices unnaturally high.

Liam snatched off his mask. "This is not funny!" he said, sounding like an enraged chipmunk. His pronouncement was met with even more guffawing. In frustration, he stomped his foot...and sent himself flying into the air. "Ooohhh sssssshhhh....." Liam slammed into the ceiling. By virtue of his moon shoes, he stayed up.

Da'an, Zo'or, Sandoval and Renee continued laughing. The two humans had tears running down their faces and all four were on the floor.

"Get me down!!" shouted Liam, his voice gradually returning to normal.

"Do...not...worry," gasped Da'an. "You should be coming down right about..."

Liam plummeted to the ground.

"...now," finished Da'an.

Liam sprung up from the floor, either not as injured as one might expect or too angry to notice. He marched over to Sandoval and Renee, yanking off the masks. He couldn't speak yet, so he contented himself with glaring.

The laughter gradually subsided. Once Liam was sure some amount of sanity had returned, he said, "Da'an, fix these damn things."

"Yes, Liam," Da'an said, grinning. He took the masks, and with a few swift movements, reset them to the proper mixture. He handed them back to Liam. He then proceeded to the moon shoes.

"Oooh do you have too?" Renee pleaded in a semi-normal voice. "I wanted to try flying!" She flapped her arms to illustrate her desire.

"No!" declared Liam.

"Umm..." Da'an straightened from working on Liam's boots. He gave Liam a 'don't yell at me but' look.

"Oh no," Liam said. "Don't tell me..."

"I am sorry, Liam," apologized Da'an. "I do not seem able to reset the moon shoes."

Liam covered his eyes with a hand, if only so he didn't have to see that pathetic expression.

"Let me do it," said Zo'or snidely. He strode over to Liam, bent down and proceeded to manipulate the controls. After a half minute, he straightened.

"Well?" Liam asked, looking at Zo'or.

Zo'or's head twitched a bit. "It is malfunctioning," he said in an off hand manner.

"Great," muttered Liam. "What about their shoes?" He motioned to Sandoval and Renee.

Da'an and Zo'or inspected the two pairs of moon shoes, then gave each other a worried look.

"What?" asked Liam.

"Oops?" offered Da'an.

Liam counted to ten, then thirty, then fifty, then decided he could count to a billion and it wouldn't help. He ground out, "So what you are saying...is that these boots are worthless now?"

"Uh...yes..." averred Da'an.

Liam didn't like the tone to that, and he was loath to say it but, "There's more?"

This time Zo'or spoke. "Unfortunately, along with the general controls...the fastenings have malfunctioned as well. The moon shoes cannot be removed." He actually sounded sorry.

Liam had absolutely nothing to say to that.


	7. A Little Luck

**Chapter 7: A Little Luck**

**-**

_This is utter insanity_, Liam thought, _it just can not be happening_. He sat on the floor, back to the wall. He held his head in his hands. _This has to be a dream, a nightmare..._

"Wheeeee!!!!" The gleeful sound ricocheted off the walls. Sandoval pushed off the floor, tucked his arms and did a magnificent flip in the air. He floated gently to the ground again.

"Bravo!" Renee clapped enthusiastically. She beamed at the agent.

Sandoval bowed majestically. "Thank you! Thank you!" he said. He smiled back at Renee, then held out his hand. "Now it's your turn."

Renee took the floor as Sandoval retreated to the sidelines. She bowed, then thought for a moment. "Ok! I've got it!" She flung out her arms, jumped into the air and executed a perfect pirouette.

"Encore!" raved Sandoval, clapping. He glanced at the two silent Taelons, who were nodding appreciatively. They all cheered when Renee managed another feat of aerial ballet.

_I'm going to wake up any minute now..._ Liam thought to himself, ignoring the sideshow going on. He had to hold on to some hope. A beeping sound confused him for a second, he actually believed it might be his alarm clock. He raised his head and realized the Taelon room hadn't given way to his apartment.

_What now_? Liam snapped open his global, the source of the noise. Augur's face immediately appeared. "Augur?"

"Where are you Liam?" Augur asked, sounding concerned. "I tried to contact you before, but there was some kind of interference."

Liam grimaced at the memory of the 'nightclub'. Augur caught the expression and said, "That bad, huh?"

"Regular trip down the rabbit hole," stated Liam.

"'Rabbit hole'?" a confused Augur questioned

"Something Sandoval said. Forget it," said Liam. "What was it, Augur?"

Augur looked at him blankly a moment, then said, "Well, I managed to dig up a little more on the factory. Seems there might be a witness. I'm having him tracked down now."

"That's great," Liam said flatly. "At least we might find out who's responsible for this whole mess." He just hoped he would get a chance to 'meet' the guy.

"That's not all," Augur rushed on, "I've been monitoring some strange internal communications. T'than's taken over the Mothership!"

"What!" Liam's nightmare just got worse.

Augur nodded vigorously. "He's planning to invade Earth! Liam, whatever it is you're doing, you'd better hurry it up!"

"Right!" Liam shut the global and stood. He turned to find Sandoval and Renee performing an impromptu mid-air dance. "Get down from there!"

Sandoval and Renee floated down, giggling. "You're no fun, Liam!" chided Renee.

Liam scowled. "We don't have time. We have to get to the labs." He turned to Da'an and said, "You told me you could guide me around this base, so where are the labs?"

Da'an assumed a quizzical expression. Liam couldn't tell if he was faking it or not.

"Da'an!" he prompted.

Da'an grinned, "Yes, Liam of course. We need to cycle the room so we can move into the base itself. It's necessary to lower the gravity and air pressure, to avoid a shock to our bodies."

"You should activate the pressure belts," added Zo'or.

Liam gave both Taelons a warning look. "These belts won't 'malfunction' will they?"

"Oh no," Da'an shook his head. "It would be too dangerous to tamper with them."

_Like falling from the ceiling wasn't_? Liam secured the belt around his waist and put his air mask back on. He activated the belt, which resulted in a low hum. Sandoval and Renee followed suit.

Da'an turned from them and walked to a control panel near the exit. He glanced back and instructed, "Once we enter the base, communication between us will become impossible. Zo'or and I shall can use the Commonality, but you three do not have a recourse. Simply allow us to lead the way."

Before Liam could protest or ask if there was any communication equipment, Da'an activated the cycle controls. The hiss of escaping air announced the departure of atmosphere. Liam could feel himself rise slightly, the gravity lessening. He was concentrating on predicting what might happen once they entered the Moonbase proper, when something bumped against his head.

"Huh?" Liam could hear his own exclamation of surprise, muffled by the mask. He swung his head around...and collided with a big, white puff. _Wha..._?

Large, vaguely familiar objects were floating around in the low gravity. Liam reached out and caught hold of one. He squeezed it. The puff was spongy, soft. He stared at it for a moment, then realized what it was. He gave Sandoval a withering glare. The agent simply shrugged and grinned.

Liam rolled his eyes and let the inflated marshmallow go. He motioned to Da'an to open the door. Da'an nodded, he touched the controls and the door melted away. He led the way out, followed by Zo'or. Liam ushered Sandoval and Renee through the opening.

They emerged into an empty corridor. _Well_, thought Liam, _either they don't know we're here or they didn't feel it necessary to send someone_. He was glad to see the way was clear, but suspicious of trouble later on.

A bump from behind sent Liam careening into the wall. His moon shoes decided at that moment to switch from 'gravity' to 'anti-gravity'. Unable to stop himself, Liam bounced across the hallway several times, looking and feeling like a human pinball. Finally, he was able to clasp onto a support of some kind and cease the dizzying ordeal.

He glared in the direction of Sandoval and Renee, who each held one of the oversized marshmallows behind their back. Liam pulled himself over to them. He tapped his moon shoes on the floor until they stuck. Then he held out his hand in a silent demand. Sandoval and Renee frowned, but relinquished the puffs. He pointed down the corridor and they obeyed.

Liam shook his head and sent the puffs sailing back toward the portal room. _Please_, he begged, _Whatever power is out there, just let us get to the labs without any more trouble_?

---

_Whatever powers that be...Thank You_! Liam thought gratefully. Somehow, by some luck or design, the group had managed to locate the labs without incident. Zo'or stood next to the door, authorizing their entrance. He glanced at them with a satisfied grin as the door opened.

Liam proceeded into the first lab. He surveyed the surroundings and blinked in surprise when he spotted the Taelon.

The Taelon was ensconced behind a table, holding a container of some sort in his hand. His blue energy body contrasted with that of Da'an and Zo'or's 'human' ones. He cocked his head to one side, then assumed his own facade.

Da'an and Zo'or approached him and a conversation, of sorts, began. All three Taelons alternately nodded, shook their heads and gestured with their hands. Finally, the Taelon at the table nodded and touched a button on its surface.

Liam felt the pull of gravity return. Da'an turned to him and said, "You may remove your masks. Ki'na has introduced the necessary atmosphere for humans."

Liam cautiously removed his mask. He took a breath and decided there wasn't any trickery involved. "Thank you, Ki'na."

Ki'na nodded again. "Da'an informs me you have questions regarding a certain compound?"

"Yes," replied Liam. Finally, they seemed to be getting somewhere. "A Taelon compound, referred to as _zenar_, was stolen from the Taelon Mothership. Unfortunately, the compound has been ingested by most, if not all, of the Mothership inhabitants. We need a counter-agent. Preferably one that works on both Taelons and humans."

Ki'na gave Liam an impatient glare. "This is the emergency I have interrupted my experiments for?"

Liam wasn't sure how to answer that. But it didn't seem necessary anyway, since Ki'na turned to Da'an and Zo'or. He huffed, "This information could have been requested via data stream." He stalked to a shelf in the wall behind him, removed a vial and brought it to Liam. "This is the counter-agent you require," he said snidely.

Liam turned the vial over in his hand. "We need enough for the entire Mothership," he observed. "Will we have to replicate more?"

"No," snapped Ki'na. "Merely introduce that into the environment, then initiate a sweep of energy, the type Taelons use in their streams, and the effects of _zenar_ will be cleansed."

Liam nodded, then asked, "What about the humans?"

"The counter-agent will work well enough," Ki'na said impatiently. "They will simply experience mild exhaustion. Now," he swept the group with an acid gaze, "Please vacate the lab. My experiments are delicate and may already be suffering." Without another word, he returned to the table and pressed the environmental controls.

Liam hastily replaced his mask as the friendly atmosphere was vacuumed from the lab. He placed the vial in a zippered pocket and motioned to the others. He led them out of the lab, down the corridors and back to the portal room.


	8. A Happy Ending yeah, right!

**Chapter 8: A Happy Ending (yeah, right!)**

**-**

"Woohoo!" Sandoval said.

Or at least, that's what Liam thought he was saying. The agent was shaking his fists in the air and grinning as his well-aimed marshmallow sent Renee flying across the room. Renee bumped into the wall, did a quick about face and used it to launch herself at Sandoval. She caught another marshmallow as she approached and swung at him.

Sandoval managed to dodge the shot. Renee lost her grip on the large puff and it went sailing toward Liam.

Liam ducked, letting the object cruise harmlessly overhead. He glared at the two humans. Sandoval stuck out his tongue and Renee laughed. Liam shook his head. Turning to Da'an, he signaled the Taelon to begin the cycle to restore the atmosphere and gravity to the portal room.

Sandoval and Renee floated to the floor, their marshmallows shrinking to wrinkled little lumps. Renee removed her mask and frowned at Liam. "You killed it!" she cried. "That's not fair..."

"You can play later," promised Liam, taking off his own mask. Since getting the counter-agent, he felt a little more forgiving. _Soon_, he thought, _this will all be over..._

Renee grinned, "Ok, whatever you say!"

Liam nodded, distracted. He removed the pressure belt and handed it to Da'an. He and Zo'or gathered the remaining equipment and set about returning it to the storage cabinet. Of course, there was still one problem.

The moon shoes.

They couldn't be removed. Liam tugged on his own, trying to free himself without setting off the anti-gravity. The boots refused to budge. _I guess we'll have to wear them for now_. He turned to the group at large. "Ok, we have to return to the Mothership. It looks like Renee, Sandoval and I will have to take these moon shoes with us."

"Good," said Sandoval. He seemed happy to be able to keep his new toy.

"Ok," Liam continued, "The only other problem is T'than may be waiting for us when we return."

Zo'or looked stricken. His fingers danced nervously, and he said, "Perhaps I should remain here?"

"Coward," murmured Sandoval.

Zo'or shot the agent an angry glance.

"No fighting!" ordered Liam, determined to keep some control over the group. "Zo'or, you're coming with us. Set the controls for the return trip."

Zo'or cocked his head, but obeyed. He delicately tapped the sequence into the station next to the portal. He studied the monitor for a moment, the gave Liam a slightly worried look. "The controls at the Mothership portal have been damaged."

"What does that mean?" Liam ground out.

"Ah..." Zo'or stammered. "We can transport there, but once through...there is no way back."

"Great," Liam said. _I guess that means no quick retreats_. "Set the controls."

Zo'or made a nervous little shrug, then set the sequence. Liam, Sandoval, Renee and Da'an stepped into the portal. Zo'or quickly followed them. Liam pulled out his gun. He hoped T'than was too busy on the bridge planning his invasion to be monitoring the portal room.

Liam gave the group one final encouraging look before they were sent through ID space.

---

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!"

The warrior cry assaulted Liam's ears as soon as he appeared in the Mothership's portal. He brought up the gun to send off a few warning shots. His wrist stung as the descending sword struck the weapon and wrenched it from his hand. He launched himself at the attacking Taelon, knocking them both to the floor.

"Run!" Liam shouted to the others.

They didn't need to be told twice. Da'an, Zo'or, Sandoval and Renee raced for the door. Without even a glance back, they disappeared.

_So much for his being on the bridge..._ Liam grappled with T'than. He grabbed the Taelon's arm and twisted hard. T'than growled as he let go of the ancient sword. The weapon skittered across the room, coming to a stop near the door.

Liam pushed off the Taelon, leaving T'than momentarily stunned. He raced to the door, opened it and snatched up the sword on the way out. He closed the door from the other side. Then, using the sword, struck the controls. _I hope this works..._

He heard T'than reach the door. The Taelon began pounding, speaking furiously in Eunoia. It seemed he couldn't open the door from the inside.

Liam sighed in relief. He turned and surveyed the corridor. There was no sign of the others. _They could be halfway across the Mothership by now_, he thought. He supposed it didn't matter. With the counter-agent, he would put an end to all the madness.

Deciding to keep the sword with him, Liam began to make his way to the nearest environmental station. He walked briskly, alert for anything unusual. He blinked in surprise when he noticed he wasn't making any headway.

Liam kept walking but the corridor refused to move. He glanced down and noticed his feet weren't touching the floor. "Ah..." Liam said in frustration. Using the sword, he 'paddled' over to the wall. He tapped his foot on the ground.

Nothing happened.

He tapped it again, harder this time, but still his foot bounced off the floor. It seemed his moon shoes had finally decided on a mode: anti-gravity.

"Great..." muttered Liam. He stuffed the sword under his arm. Placing both hands against the wall, he pulled himself down the hall.

A strange crackling noise suddenly filled the corridor, followed by a familiar voice.

"Greetings all, this is your Synod leader Zo'or."

Liam groaned. _What now_?

"I have something to say to you," Zo'or continued. "Please listen carefully..... A duck walks into this bar..."

---

"I made it," whispered Liam. He couldn't believe it. Beads of sweat pearled on his forehead from the exertion of having to pull himself by hand to the environmental station. "I just hope this works."

Letting the sword drop, Liam reached into his pocket and removed the vial. He opened a small panel on the control board and inserted the counter-agent. He tapped in the commands to release it into the ship. He also set the energy sweep.

Finally, exhausted, Liam slipped to the floor, his moon shoes switching modes once again.

Liam's eyes closed in blissful oblivion as the counter-agent began making its way around the ship.

-

**Epilogue**

**-**

Liam stretched his aching muscles and yawned.

It had been 24 hours since he'd released the counter-agent on the Mothership. The antidote had worked perfectly. Not only did the Taelons recover, but so did the human crew. He wished he could have been present when Sandoval came to his senses. He wondered what the agent's reaction had been on finding himself dressed in leather and wearing black and white face paint.

Liam chuckled to himself. _Well, at least I got to see Renee's_. He'd woken up in the environmental station. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but he'd set out immediately to find her. Luckily, his moon shoes hadn't switch back to anti-gravity mode.

The professional businesswoman had been chagrined, to say the least. Although it seemed no one could remember completely what they had done, there was enough memory to cause embarrassment. He'd wisely kept his mouth shut when he'd returned the sword to T'than and taken Da'an back to the Embassy.

Da'an had given Liam a day to rest before resuming the investigation. Which is what he was doing now. Augur had left a message for him to come to the hacker's hideout. Apparently, he'd found some new information.

Liam yawned again as the elevator doors opened and he stepped into the old Resistance headquarters. "Hey Augur!"

"Liam, you're here. Great," grinned Augur. He looked up from his computer as Liam approached. "I've got some interesting news for you. I know who stole the Taelon compound from the Mothership!"

"What?" Liam stared at his friend. Augur hadn't mentioned he'd discovered the culprit. "Ok," he asked, intrigued, "Who was it?"

"Sandoval!" Augur said with a smug expression.

"Huh? Augur are you sure?" Liam questioned.

"Am I sure?" Augur scoffed. "Of course. You gave me the best clue yourself!"

"I did?" Liam couldn't remember finding any clues, let alone passing them on to Augur.

"I'll explain," said Augur.

Liam nodded. "Please do."

"Ok, remember when you were in the portal room on the Moonbase? When I asked you where you had been...you made that comment about the 'rabbit hole'?" Augur asked

"Uh huh," replied Liam. He was following...so far.

"Well, I finally tracked down that witness I told you about," continued Augur. "Turns out he had stashed the compound there for some mysterious contact. He didn't know who, only that he was told to put the stuff in the ingredients for the new 'Gummi Bunni' candy the manufacturer was going to produce."

"Gummi Bunni?" asked Liam.

"Yep," said Augur. "At first, I thought Sandoval was just making some reference to 'Alice in Wonderland'. Then I found out from the witness, that the workers at the factory had dubbed the holding area for the Gummi Bunni ingredients as the 'rabbit hole'. That's too much of a coincidence, if you ask me."

"Ok," admitted Liam. It seemed to fit, Sandoval might have wanted the compound for his own purposes, but something was bugging him. If the compound had been stored in the Gummi _Bunni_ ingredients then... "Augur, what about the Gummi Bears?"

"Well, that's the funny thing," Augur laughed nervously. He stood up and put a few more feet between himself and the Companion Protector. "It seems the Gummi Bears were never drugged to begin with."

"What?!" Liam shouted. "How do you explain the...the _insanity_ that went on?"

Augur rung his hands. "Ah...well...I had that question myself, so I did a few calculations, and simulations, and..."

"And?" Liam asked dangerously. He leaned forward on the desk between them.

"And.....it seems the chemical composition of Gummi Bears has a strange effect on Taelons," said Augur, stepping back a few more feet. He rushed on, though he didn't look particularly pleased to do so, "It causes erratic energy impulses. Which, unfortunately, affect others around them, including humans. Causing them to behave...strangely."

"And this...effect," asked Liam, beginning to make his way around the desk, "How long does it last?"

"Oh...well..." stalled Augur. "Uh...according to my calculations.... it would have worn off about... half an hour after you put the counter-agent into the Mothership's environment."

Liam didn't say anything, didn't _think_ anything, just continued to make his way toward the nervous hacker.

"Now Liam...I...we couldn't have known, right? It was just a freak occurrence... It's nothing to get upset about... We'll look back on this someday and just laugh...right? Liam? Liam???"

**FINITO**


End file.
